For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the de‑facto platforms for video‑game creation, responsible for roughly seventy percent of all titles launched on Steam in 2025. While Godot has enjoyed a surge in popularity recently and some heavyweight studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been monopolised by the two giants. Enter Immersive Technologies, better known as Immens, a startup founded by three seasoned industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong and Michal Valient.
Their résumés read like a who’s‑who of game development, spanning Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, Apple and more. The trio believes there is still room for a fresh engine that not only competes with the incumbents but also addresses their shortcomings. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is now ripe for a new platform that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. “With AI‑assisted programming, we can start building from the ground up again,” he said.
“Guided by intelligent tools, we can deliver full‑featured functionality much faster than before.” Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that the AI they employ is not the typical "prompt‑to‑output" model that dominates headlines. Instead, the artificial‑intelligence layer is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. “AI can reason over large codebases and data sets,” he explained. “If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom systems—like a bespoke particle effect—without being constrained to a limited scripting environment.” This approach, he says, lets creators augment the engine quickly and safely.
The motivation behind Immens’s AI‑centric engine stems from the current economic climate of game development. Brussee described the market as “rough” and warned that production costs are spiralling, making it increasingly difficult for small studios to survive.
“We need new ways of working that lower risk, shrink budgets and speed up delivery,” he asserted. The goal is to empower creators to build high‑quality experiences with fewer hands and less capital, thereby breaking the cycle of ever‑rising expenses. De Jong, the chief product officer, observed that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has produced a stable foundation, it also stifles innovation.
“The industry faces many challenges, and simply repeating the old playbook won’t cut it,” he said. “We need a different paradigm—one that embraces flexibility rather than imposing a monolithic, one‑size‑fits‑all solution.” Current engines often force developers to adapt to proprietary file formats and rigid workflows. De Jong envisions an engine that molds itself to the user’s needs. “You should be able to swap components, append new modules, or build entirely custom tools that match your personal workflow,” he explained.
“Imagine a developer who can craft an interface with exactly the shortcuts, features and layout that suit their team’s project—nothing more, nothing less.” Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can quickly go off‑track if left unchecked. To mitigate this, Immens is building transparency into the system. Users will always know what the AI is doing, see its decision history and retain full control over the output. This auditability ensures repeatable results and prevents the black‑box pitfalls that have plagued other AI applications.
The team illustrated the potential impact with a simple example: generating five characters with a specific trait used to require weeks of planning and manual labor. With AI‑assisted tools, a developer could sketch the idea over coffee, produce a functional prototype in minutes, reuse the tool several times, and then discard it—dramatically reducing cost and time. Immens’s architecture deliberately avoids imposing a single workflow. De Jong emphasized that developers can decide how much AI to incorporate and where to apply it.
The engine is built on open standards, meaning files are stored in text‑based formats that any compatible software can read. “If you’re using Blender, Maya, or any generative tool, you can plug it straight into Immens because everything communicates through open protocols,” Brussee said. This openness contrasts with many existing engines that act as closed ecosystems, hindering interoperability. There is a vocal backlash against AI in game creation, often fueled by sensational claims that a single prompt could spawn a Grand‑Theft‑Auto‑level world.
Immens acknowledges that such “click‑to‑game” fantasies may eventually materialise, but they view AI primarily as an empowering instrument rather than a replacement for human creativity. “AI makes everyone better, not a substitute for talent,” Valient remarked, noting the technology’s disruptive perception. Economic anxieties also swirl around AI, with some labeling the sector a speculative bubble.
Valient compared the situation to the dot‑com era: the internet didn’t disappear when the bubble burst; many companies fell, but the underlying technology endured and flourished. Immens aims to build a solid engine that leverages AI to accelerate development, regardless of market hype. Funding remains modest. The founders have secured initial commitments but have not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against over‑funding, noting that excess capital can breed complacency.
“Startups need to stay scrappy,” he laughed. The company remains lean—just the three founders plus a handful of helpers—by design.
De Jong explained that creating a game engine is a complex undertaking that does not benefit from a massive headcount. A small, focused team can make deliberate decisions and iterate efficiently, especially while the industry undergoes rapid AI‑driven change.
Timing, they believe, is critical; they must capture the window of opportunity without over‑extending resources. Immens is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. The team expects to release the demo within the month, already having accelerated their timeline far beyond the original end‑of‑year target.
Brussee admitted that predicting exact schedules is difficult, but the early progress is promising. Regarding the business model, Immens admires Epic Games’ philosophy of succeeding when developers succeed, yet it remains too early to announce concrete plans. Ultimately, Brussee hopes the engine will enable creators to push artistic boundaries, take risks and inject fresh innovation into the medium. “We love games and want to see more daring, expressive experiences,” he concluded.
“If our technology can help bring that vision to life, that would be amazing."